Steam app 2541530 · updated 12 Sep 2026, 20:44 UTC
Explore a vast underground world to mine and craft hundreds of items while building up your modular Outpost on the surface, to prospect for gems, refine resources and farm hydroponic crops in this top-down sci-fi survival-crafter where the story always provides a reason to dig deeper.
679 hourly samples, with the daily peak drawn over them. Weekends are shaded.
7 months, March 2026 to September 2026. The highest number of people in the game at once, each month, on a time axis -- a gap in the record stays a gap.
The highest number of people in the game at once, each month. Four, because four is as far back as the source keeps anything finer than one figure a month.
31 days, each one the highest figure that day. The source keeps no hourly detail this far back. Weekends are shaded.
31 days as the curve, each the highest figure that day. Behind it, 399 hourly samples from 13 Aug, which is as far back as the source keeps every hour. Weekends are shaded.
12 days as the curve, each the highest figure that day. Behind it, 280 hourly samples. Each dip is a night. Weekends are shaded.
AETHUS was released on 6 Mar, 2026.
| Language | Full audio |
|---|---|
| English | ● |
A blank audio cell means full audio was not marked in the returned language list.
AETHUS - Launch Trailer
Watch on Steam
AETHUS - Official Gameplay Trailer
Watch on Steam
Gameplay Deep Dive - 'The Menagerie'
Watch on Steam40 achievements in total.
50 developer announcements, Nov 2024 to Sep 2026 · times in UTC
Hi folks! It's been a wee while!I'm really excited to announce my second title - Tidy Up the Town!It's a cozy, no-pressure sorting/tidy-up game set in a medieval market town.You're an apprentice wizard whose early morning practice in the…
BeaconVersion 1.036 - 23/06/26 - 16:35 BST Fixes - Fixed some comically large drill bits. - Disabled the ability to queue up Stub Memories to avoid them double playing accidentally. - Added a fail-safe check for the Reactor Fuel Rod pickup…
Patch notesHello, Pioneers!Patch 1.035 is live now, bringing official gamepad support to AETHUS!With the game going on sale for the next two weeks as of tomorrow 6PM BST (10AM PST), there's never been a better time to pick up a copy and begin your…
BeaconVersion 1.029 - 08/05/26 - 14:50 BST New Features- Added a new 'Resources' Game Modifier to the New Game screen and the Settings menu, which allows for adjusting resource drop rates higher or lower than standard. Improvements- Dialogues…
Patch notesVersion 1.028 - 01/05/26 - 15:00 BST I had a nasty hardware failure last weekend so a lot of this week was lost to getting that sorted... I think we're all good now, though! New Features - Objects in the world that are colliding with what…
Patch notesVersion 1.027 - 24/04/26 - 15:45 BST New Features - Added a new panel to the Settings menu to enable/disable seasonal events and reset their progress. The Spring Event can now be enabled at any time (once the player has progressed…
Patch notesVersion 1.026 - 22/04/26 - 11:55 BST More building improvements! Storage snapping has been requested for a while, so I'm very pleased to get it to you! Keep the suggestions and feedback coming :) New Features - Storage facilities now snap…
Patch notesHello, Pioneers!Patch 1.025 is live now, bringing improvements to the snapping system in Build Mode, which should make things smoother and allow you to create more flexible Outpost designs! Full patch notes and details below.In addition…
BeaconVersion 1.022 - 11/04/26 - 18:00 GMT I hope you all had a nice Easter break! Some nice fixes in this one alongside a much-requested new QOL option and a significant balancing-related feature that should help anyone who's feeling a bit…
Patch notesVersion 1.021 - 31/03/26 - 15:15 GMTFinal wee set of fixes and improvements before I head off for some downtime! As mentioned, from tomorrow I'll be travelling to spend some time with family and rest a bit for the first time post-launch…
Patch notesHello, Pioneers! Spring is here, the weather is improving, and we're now three weeks from launch!Spring Fling EventI wanted to do a little something fun to celebrate the arrival of the spring season (finally!), so I've added a new tiny…
BeaconVersion 1.019 - 24/03/26 - 09:20 GMT I'm a bit under the weather so I'm pushing the latest bugfixes and will be back to more significant changes tomorrow for later in the week! Improvements - Added the ability to move the Cliffside Ramp…
Patch notesVersion 1.018 - 20/03/26 - 16:00 GMT New Features - Added a count of how many of an item the player has in storage within their Outpost, in the item's tooltip when hovered. - Added a new Settings option to auto-open the crafting UI when…
Patch notesVersion 1.017 - 17/03/26 - 16:45 GMT Ok, sorry, I lied... Another patch for you. But it has some good stuff! The next one really should be on Thursday or Friday now! New Features - Constructions will no longer snap onto others that they are…
Patch notesVersion 1.016 - 16/03/26 - 17:40 GMT This is the first of the new-cadence patches! Expect the next one on Wednesday, and then probably another on Friday! New Features - Added a DX12 launch option to Steam when the game is launched, which…
Patch notesHello, Pioneers! 7 Days post-launch, how are things going, you ask?(Spoiler alert: Very Well)Future SecuredFolks. I can barely put into words how the last week has been. It's been the most unbelievable, exhausting, exhilarating, terrifying…
BeaconHotfix #15 - 12/03/26 - 17:40 GMTBit of a smaller one today, the backup save system rework took a fair time, but you will see a much smaller saves folder going forward so I wanted to prioritise this one! Improvements- Reworked backup save…
Patch notesHotfix #14 - 11/03/26 - 17:30 GMT Improvements - Alt and Tab keys no longer trigger skip cutscene behaviour. - Removed extra debug logging in save game files required to fix earlier issues (now resolved) in order to lower their size.…
Patch notesPatching Moving Forward Now that all critical bugs are seemingly resolved (🙏) I'm moving forward with a daily hotfix cadence! Some particularly big changes are bolded. Improvements - Significantly reduced the threshold time for culling…
Patch notesImprovements - Roland is now more considerate and won't yap at you or sing non-copyrighted songs while you're browsing the market, journal entries, etc. - Added a custom error message when trying to place the Crater Climber in a place that…
Patch notesCritical Fixes- Fixed a progression blocker edge case with the Facility Rho teleporter where the power would not be on after restoring it.- Fixed the possibility for breaking progression in Omega by skipping ahead in one place. - Fixed the…
Patch notes- Dew Catcher no longer requires Scrap to construct. - Increased the market value of Oxygen Dome Mk. II. - Reduced the backup save maximum saves amount to 5 from 10 to save disk space. - Reduced the chance of weird states in Mu/Theta…
Patch notesIf you have any dialogue or task blocker issues after this hotfix, please contact me!
Patch notes- Made the EMP Charge undroppable to prevent throwing it away in confusion about how to use it. - Removed the throwable items radius display if item quantity is zero. - Clarified the 'cannot build here' tooltip to 'cannot build…
Patch notes- Attempting to fix progression bugs caused by dialogue not playing. If you still experience this, it would help SO much if you ping me straight away on the Discord!- Increased the chance of Oxite drops from Kaloxite nodes.- Increased the…
Patch notes- Fixed an edge case where the player might not unlock the Trade Node if they don't have Silica in the inventory after transitioning from a demo save. - Improved task tracking and wording of GOING UNDERGROUND quests. - Adjusted prices of…
Patch notes- Moved the cargo drone in the clifftop hab to be more visible (for new players). - Adjusted the cliff elevator so that players should no longer be able to die during the transition and have their items unreachable.
Patch notes- Fixed oxygen domes not working! (that's the last time I do a hotfix on no sleep...) - Fixed hovering the journal reminder icon on level transition causing the journal to open and close on any subsequent LMB use. Thank you for your…
Patch notes- Added the ability to set UI Scaling sliders to 0 to remove that particular UI element. - Added a small note about overlapping UI to UI scaling options. - Removed Oxygen Poisoning debuff.Thank you all for an amazing launch so far!It's…
Patch notes- Added a 'no known recipes' explainer to the Refining UI if player unlocks certain refiners before they unlock the recipes. - Makeshift hab now takes 5 building material to construct (and no scrap) so the player can't hardlock themselves…
Patch notesHello, Pioneers! Three years of solodev is over. AETHUS is out now!Check out the Launch Trailer below!AETHUS is available now on Steam and the Humble Store at a special discounted launch price of $15.99 / £13.20 / €15.99, for two…
BeaconHello, Pioneers! It feels a bit crazy to say, but we're just one week from launch... so it's time to talk about a few important topics!Before we do though, if you've not played the AETHUS Demo yet... Why not?!I've pushed a full patch and a…
BeaconHello, Pioneers! Firstly, a huge welcome to all the thousands of new players who've found the game through Next Fest!If you're new here, I'm Alex, the solo-developer of AETHUS! Thanks so much to everyone who's played the demo, especially…
BeaconHello, Pioneers! The AETHUS Demo is now live as part of Steam Next Fest!If you're new here, welcome! I'm Alex, the solo-developer of AETHUS.I've been working on the game for coming up on three years, and it releases next week - straight to…
BeaconHello, Pioneers! Just a heads-up that the AETHUS demo will launch on February 23rd as part of Steam Next Fest!Experience the first hour or so of content (no demo time limit) as you begin to establish your Outpost on the surface of your…
BeaconA mysterious corporate mining claim. An engineer on the brink of burnout. The chance for a fresh start, to build something of your own...Hello, Pioneers! I can't quite believe it, but AETHUS launches on Steam, straight into v1.0, on March…
BeaconHappy New Year, Pioneers!I hope that 2026 brings you health and happiness!Gameplay Deep Dive #2I'm pleased to present the second AETHUS Gameplay Deep Dive - Building MechanicsJoin me as I walk you through building in the game, as we expand…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! I'm delighted to announce that AETHUS is featured in PirateSoftware's new indie festival, Indiecember!I'm super excited to be joining the lineup of awesome games featured so far, every day of the month! When is…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! When I started making this game, I felt like I had the potential for something special, and that if I put my heart and soul into making it a reality, it could become a proper, successful product with the potential to…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! I'm very proud to say that AETHUS was picked for the Official Selection at SXSW Sydney this year!The game will have a physical booth at the show on October 15/16, and will participate in the Steam festival from…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! Welcome to the September Development Diary for AETHUS! This month, we have an updated Gameplay Trailer to showcase, we get our first introduction to the final biome of the game - the Magma Rifts, and confirm the…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! I'm delighted to announce that AETHUS is featured in this year’s Tiny Teams festival, organised by YogsCast!I'm super excited to be joining the lineup of awesome games made by other micro-sized developers this year…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! I hope you're having a lovely summer!Gameplay Deep DiveI'm pleased to present the very first Gameplay Deep Dive - 'The Menagerie'!In this video, come with me as I take you through various game features as you get your…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! AETHUS is featured in this year’s Steam Automation Fest! As part of the fest, be sure to check out the free demo. I've worked hard to ensure the demo provides the best possible intro to AETHUS for new players, so if…
CULTdavidHello again, Pioneers!I’m super excited to share that I have joined forces with CULT Games, who will publish AETHUS and bring it to a much wider audience than I could achieve on my own!As a solo-indie developer this partnership will allow…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! Welcome to the May Development Diary for AETHUS! This month, we recap on the May Playtest, cover the new Demo Update and check out a rework of the Power System based on feedback! May Development May Playtest The May…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! Welcome to the April Development Diary for AETHUS! I know, I missed the dev diary for March, again, my bad! Things have been incredibly busy preparing for the next Playtest, which is scheduled for early May - there…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! Welcome to the February Development Diary for AETHUS! You may have noticed there wasn't a January Development Diary - apologies for that, but there just wasn't that much of interest to show at the start of the year…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! Welcome to the December Development Diary for AETHUS! Happy holiday season to you, but particularly I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, from my Outpost to yours!…
BeaconHello again, Pioneers! Welcome to the November Development Diary for AETHUS! Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate. This month, I have an update on the ongoing Closed Playtest and some exciting development updates! Playtesting…
BeaconEverything Steam lists as add-on content for this game, newest first. Prices are left out on purpose: the store answers this page in one currency and it is not the reader's.
| Name | Platforms | Released |
|---|---|---|
| AETHUS Soundtrack | WindowsmacOSLinux | 06 Mar 2026 |
| AETHUS - Supporter's Pack | Windows | 06 Mar 2026 |
What Steam runs, and with what. Straight from the app configuration.
| Description | Executable | Arguments | Platform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | StrikeTheEarth.exe | windows | ||
| AETHUS using DX12 (May improve performance on DX12 cards!) | StrikeTheEarth.exe | -dx12 | any |
The folders Steam Cloud syncs. The root is a token Steam uses for a location on your own machine, not a path this page can know.
| Root | Folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
WinAppDataLocal | StrikeTheEarth/Saved/SaveGames | *.sav |
It runs on public data and somebody's spare time.
https://paypal.me/KintaroPalPay[email protected]0x4d559C765AA8BFe336E36d5b76024926767eD38dTJtctWU9uetJaTBoSybd1RErW7n9duTKVG